Berlin

The Alte Nationalgalerie, also known as the Old National Gallery, is situated on a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site known as Museum Island and holds a collection of art exhibits ranging from neoclassical to modernist. After many failed attempts, the gallery finally opened in 1876 and housed a starter collection of 262 paintings that were donated years prior by the banker Johann Heinrich Wagener. The building was heavily damaged during WWII air raids, partially rebuilt in the late 1960s, and completely renovated in the early 2000s as an effort to re-establish Berlin as the political and cultural heart of Germany.

Alte Nationalgalerie , Bodestraße 1-3, 10178 Berlin, Germany, Phone: +49-3-02-66-42-42-42

The Berlin Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum covers an area of roughly 106 acres and contains approximately 22,000 plant varieties. Built under the guidance of the architect Adolf Engler between 1897 and 1910, the original purpose of the gardens was to preserve and present exotic plants returning to Germany from their worldly colonies. Featuring a variety of special exhibits, such as the Cactus Pavilion and the Pavilion Victoria, the botanical garden’s showcase exhibit, however, is their Great Pavilion. This pavilion is kept at a constant 86°F with a high humidity and hosts many tropical plants including a giant bamboo.

Berlin Botanical Garden, Königin-Luise-Straße 6-8, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Phone: +49-30-83-85-01-00

Once a symbol of a divided Berlin during the Cold War, the Brandenburg Gate now stands as a symbol of peace and unity as one of Berlin’s most important monuments. The Brandenburg Gate offered people in West Berlin an opportunity to see past the no man’s land “death-strip” and into East Berlin by climbing up to the observation platform. That same platform is where Ronald Regan delivered his stern command to Mr. Gorbachev, demanding that he “tear down this wall!” The Brandenburg Gate has stood since 1791 and has undergone many renovations since then, but its neoclassical design has remained through all of the preservation work.

Pariser Platz 1 10117 Berlin

Originally built at the end of the 17th century and heavily expanded during the 18th century, the Charlottenburg Palace features a wide variety of attractions that enable it to be a major tourist destination. The grounds offer extensive walking paths, gardens, moats, small lakes, and even a carp pond, all of which have undergone many redesigns and reconstructions as different styles came into fashion over the years. The palace and grounds were heavily damaged during WWII air raids, but have since been restored to their former beauty. Much of the grounds are open to the public free of charge, but there are specific wings and parts of the palace that require an admission fee for entry.

Charlottenburg Palace, Spandauer Damm 10-22 14059 Berlin, Phone: +49-30-32-09-11